How to Tame a Wild Cat
by The 13th Unlucky Jinx
Summary: A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC. Currently rated T for safety, will probably bump up to an M. Feedback is greatly appreciated!
1. A Journey Begins

**How To Tame a Wild Cat**

**Summary:** A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC.

**Warnings: **Character death in this chapter, in future may go up to an M rating for violence etc. Nothing too terribly awful to start with though.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Korra or Aang. It would be glorious if I did.

A/N: Alright, another story. I will admit, this may not be the best of ideas, considering my track record for the completion of my stories, but I really don't care. After reading MANY terrible OC/self-insert/Mary-Sue fictions in both this fandom and others, I felt the need to try and write a story of an OC that has decent plot and is NOT a Mary Sue - so please tell me if I'm failing here. I DID do a Mary Sue Litmus Test for Ket, and I got a 10 for her, which is good. While I tried to be as brutally honest about her as possible with this test, I can't be sure how accurate this is. Owell. I'm sure I'll be flamed if she does Sue-up.

I will endevour to tie in this story with the plot line for The Legend of Korra, though I fear I may need to change a few things. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Get out of here, you little demon!"

A small girl with wild poofball hair ran from a bakery as fast as her pudgy legs would carry her. She wasn't more than four or five years of age and was clutching a still warm loaf of bread to her chest while an angry woman screeched at her from the doorway of said bakery.

It was just leaving the season of Winter on Kyoshi Island, and the trees were just starting to bloom again. The ground was still a bit cold, but comfortable enough to walk on barefoot - as the little girl was doing. Thanks to the mild weather, it was never quite cold enough to require footwear, which was good when you wanted to squirm your toes in the earth. She skipped though the smaller deserted streets, making her way to a somewhat shabby looking building, slipping inside. The inside was slightly worn, much like the outside, though the front room was open though filled with wooden chairs, tables, bowls and a multitude of other things.

"Papa, look what I got!" she exclaimed proudly to a man with the same puffball hair, though his was greying rather than dark brown. He looked up from working on a carving of some sort, smiling softly as he fixed his murky green eyes on the identical ones of his daughter.

"And where did you get that, Ket?" he asked gently, though there was a slight tone of disapproval in his voice.

"I found it. Honest," she replied in a voice full of false innocence that only young children can muster.

He gave her a bemused look. "Oh really. So if I go and ask Ms Bayani at the bakery, what will she say?"

Ket pouted, dropping her head and stubbing her toe against the dirt floor. "...She'd say I stole it..." she admitted reluctantly.

Jopa - that was the carpenter's name - sighed, rubbing his temples. He knew his daughter had the best of intentions and that her heart was in the right place, though her methods were wrong. Unbeknownst to Ket, he'd had many of the locals - and occasionally even some of the visitors - complaining about her. "Ket, I've told you about this stealing. It needs to stop."

"But-!"

"NO buts," he said firmly, raising his voice slightly. "Money or not, it's not acceptable to steal. I sold a couple of chairs today, so we have money for a while." He went to a pouch, pulling out four copper pieces and pressing them into his daughter hand. "I want you to go and give Ms Bayani these coins and tell her sorry and that Jopa has given her two extra for your bad behaviour. Alright?"

Ket pouted, nodding and closing her fist tightly around the precious few coins. "Alright... I'm sorry Papa. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"I know you didn't... " he kissed her forehead softly then turning her to the door and patting her bad. "Go on then. And remember to apologise," he said as she ran off out of the door.

Ket skipped through the streets, the coins clutched tightly in her hand. After giving the coins to Bayani, apologising and getting a filthy look in return, she wandered off again, finding a group of the other children her age laughing and playing together in the town centre. As she wandered up to them, one of the older girls pointed at her, putting her tiny fist on her hip, stopping her dance around the edge of the fountain.

"_I_ heard you got in _trouble_ again for _steeeeeealing_," she laughed.

Ket scowled. "Shut up Hana. you don't know anything," she retorted to the six year old.

Hana flipped her straight brown hair back, giggling and making sure she had the entire groups attention before speaking again. "_I _know LOTS of things. I know my Mummy says you're a bad girl. She says you're WILD because you don't have a Mummy to love you and you probably don't deserve one. You're a BAD girl, Ket!"

"I DO SO!" Ket shouted back, stomping her foot, glaring as ferociously as she could.

"Where is she then?" chipped in Kiku, one of Hana's friends. "I've never seen your Mummy before."

"I... My Papa says she lives in Republic City! And she does so love me!"

Hana laughed again. "If she does then how come she isn't here? You're just a demon child that no Mummy would love!"

Ket bit her lip, taking a step back. "I... It's not true...!"

"Demon child, demon child, all alone, unloved and wild!" Hana chanted scathingly, levelling her finger at her.

"Sh-shut up Hana!" Ket yelled, holding back the angry tears that threatened to spill down her chubby cheeks. The other children started joining in the chant, all of them pointing at her.

"Demon child, demon child, all alone, unloved and wild! Demon child, demon child-!"

"SHUT UP!" Ket shrieked, slamming her foot into the ground, the stone of the fountain jerking up sharply, tossing Hana into the water before Ket ran back to her home, sobbing. "Papa!" She bolted into the carpentry shop, flinging herself into the arms of her bewildered father. "Ket? What's wrong sweetie?" Jopa asked, cuddling her to his chest.

"I-it's the other kids... They said I'm a demon child and that Mummy didn't love me... " she sniffled, rubbing her pudgy fists into her eyes.

Jopa sighed, cuddling his daughter tightly. "Your Mummy loved you very much, Ket. But we both agreed that you should stay here with me and when you're old enough we would go and visit her." He smiled softly. "And you aren't a demon child. You're my special little wild child," he laughed, ruffling her hair.

Smiling back, Ket cuddled into him, clinging to his vest. "I love you too Papa."

* * *

_Two Years Later..._

"Papa, Papa, look what I did!" a now seven year old Ket shouted, running into the ramshackle carpentry shop, which had only deteriorated over the course of the past two years, though it was still filled with all manner of wooden things. "Papa, I made a-" she paused, glancing around. "... Papa? Papa, where are you?" she asked, wandering into the back room where they lived.

Collapsed on the floor in an untidy heap was Jopa. Biting her lip, Ket ran over to him and dropped to her knees beside him, pressing her hand to his forehead carefully.

He was cold.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. A team of medics came around and said Jopa had died from a weak heart, no foul play involved. Ket was shoved to the corner as people came to take away everything in her home.

"What are we going to do about his girl?" murmured one of the medical examiners to an authority. "She doesn't have any family left and we don't have an orphanage here."

The policeman shrugged. "Ask one of the villagers if they'll take her in then. She's not my problem."

"Not likely," the medic snorted in reply. "She's nothing but trouble. No one here wants her."

"Then she'll end up on the streets, like every other orphan with no place to go," snapped the other. "She's not MY problem."

Biting her lip hard, Ket allowed a few tears to spill down her cheeks. Now she supposed the other children were right with their stupid rhyme. Her Papa was dead and she didn't know who her Mama was. Only that she was in Republic City. Ket finally really was all alone and unloved. Stifling a sob and wiping her eyes furiously, Ket promised herself that this was the last time she would cry because of those mean kids. This was the last time she would cry because of ANYONE. If they didn't want her, then she didn't want them either!

With that thought firmly at the front of her mind, Ket sprinted from the only place she had ever felt wanted or loved, barging past a bewildered man on his way in, running from the village which was the only place she had ever known, the only goal in her head being to find her mother and prove those other people wrong.

Somewhere out there was someone who would love her.

* * *

A/N: There we go. First chapter. What do we think thusly? Hopefully you like it and such. Drop me a line and tell me if you'd like to see more.


	2. Acceptance and a Home

**How to Tame a Wild Cat**

**Summary:** A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC.

**Warnings: **Character death, future violence etc. Nothing too terribly awful to start with though.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Korra or Aang. It would be glorious if I did.

A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed the previous one. Even if you didn't, here's the new chapter anyway. Thanks to my reviewers for, well, reviewing.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

It had been almost a week since Ket had run from what was once her home. She had hidden on a small shipping boat that moved trade between the Island and the main shores, cramming herself between two crates and hardly daring to breath in the fear that someone would find her and send her back. Something she was determined not to let happen. As soon as the way was clear, she had wormed her way out of the crates that reeked of fish and had cautiously scuttled out on deck and dropped onto the sand of the beach. It had felt strange beneath her toes, but she remembered one of the things her Papa had always said - 'Earth is Earth and Rock is Rock no matter the form. An Earthbender can feel the connections between them and shape them to their will.' Her Papa wasn't an Earthbender, he wasn't any kind of bender, but he said that was something Ket's Mama had told him when she showed him her Metalbending. It was something Ket had always cherished and remembered.

Her stomach growled loudly and she cringed, gripping it tightly. She hadn't had anything to eat since early the day before and now it was almost evening. Her body ached from the near constant walking she'd been doing to get as far away from Kyoshi as possible, her clothes were dirty and slightly tattered from where she'd been sleeping and travelling through the thick woods and her naturally wild hair was a tangle of leaves, small branches, bugs and mud.

Just a bit farther and then she'd rest for the night... If she couldn't find any wild fruit along the way she'd have to go hungry again, and the thought brought a weak tear to her eye. The thought of crying and breaking the promise she had made to herself steeled her resolve and she let go of her stomach, marching on with a renewed pace. She wouldn't let this beat her! She'd only been gone a week and she wouldn't go crawling back to people who didn't want her!

Ket stumbled as her foot caught on a rock, almost sending her crashing face-first to the ground - which as she caught herself just in time, she noticed was a dirt track. She'd found a path. The first one she'd seen since she'd arrived on this foreign shore. Eagerly she followed it, fighting back the urge to run, until about five minutes down the road she found a small village - with a market. There were stalls just setting up for the evening commerce, so obviously this was a village that frequented travellers. Just a place that people had gathered over a period of time to help passers-by. Wandering up the street, Ket could feel her mouth watering and stomach growling at the smells.

Some stalls had bread and others had meats and others were selling fruits and a few were selling drinks. Despite the late hour, it was still relatively busy for a small village, and Ket found herself standing in front of a stall that was cooking fish on sticks, staring longingly at the food on offer.

"Hey kid! If you're not going to buy something then scram! You're scaring of my actual customers!" the man who obviously ran the stall snapped, swatting at her with a broom, making the young girl yelp and flee down the road. "Bloody urchins, always looking for a free meal..." he groused to himself.

Ket had curled up between two stalls, shivering and trembling, clutching her empty stomach. "Oh Papa... " she whispered to herself. "What am I going to do...? I haven't got any money to buy things and I can't live in the forest forever and I'm so... SO hungry..." Clenching her eyes shut to stop the flow of hot tears that threatened to spill, she leaned against the wooden walls she was squeezed between.

"You could always steal it," came a soft voice beside her. Flicking her eyes open, Ket found a pair of bright amber eyes staring directly into hers, this person's nose less than an inch from hers, causing her to yelp and flail, falling flat on her back, staring at a thin boy with shaggy black hair. He looked a little older than she did and was dirtier than she was, but he grinned widely.

"My name's Akuzo," he told her, offering a hand to help her up. "And if you're hungry, you have to steal it here. You don't get any sympathy from these people."

Nibbling her lip nervously, Ket took the boys hand, letting him help her up. "But... My Papa always said stealing was wrong, money or not."

"Your Papa's not the one starving now, is he?" Akuzo said with a raised eyebrow, showing how much living on the streets had aged him.

"I... I guess not... But what if I get caught? I can't get sent back home, no one wants me there."

Akuzo laughed, pulling her around the backs of the stalls. "I understand. I was the youngest out of five brothers. My parents couldn't feed us all, so because I was the youngest and couldn't get a job to bring money in, I was kicked out. It's not so bad on the streets though. If you're careful you always have enough to eat, even though you'll probably always want for more. You don't starve though. And if you do, it's not for too long, so you can get used to it. Plus, we all look out for each other. If someone has more than they need they share it with people who don't have anything. I could teach you, if you liked!" he offered with a grin.

Being taught... to steal...? Biting her lip again, Ket hesitated. Her Papa had always said stealing was wrong, no matter the reason, but... She was SO hungry. It felt like her stomach was trying to eat itself. She had seen people who died of starvation. It always took ages and it was slow and painful and you got weaker and weaker until you couldn't even move or ask for help or... She shuddered.

"Alright. Teach me how to steal."

* * *

Ket wandered down a path, kicking up large rocks that were partially embedded in the path and splitting them in half. It had been almost six months since she'd ran from home, and about four since she'd left Akuzo and the other street urchins. They had taught her how two slip a coin right out of someone's hand without them noticing, washing with the occasional rain so your clothes and yourself weren't too filthy, how to tell who would feel pity for you and give you things just with a glance, the best things to forage in the wild when food wasn't easily lifted, how to get by on less food than she was used to.

Glancing down at herself, Ket knew that the reduced food was having an effect on her body. The clothes she had run away in - still the only clothes she had - were baggy and loose on her. She'd have to get new ones soon or she'd be lucky if they stayed on her at all. It wasn't just the lack of food that had changed her appearance. She had scars on her skin from where branches had whipped her when running through thick forests or from shop keepers that were less than happy to have an urchin hovering around their stall. There were even a few bite or claw marks from some of the smaller wild animals in the forest. The bigger ones, she'd managed to escape so far. Her hair, however, was still as wild as ever. Once every couple of months she would find a knife or something sharp and cut off a couple of inches of her wild poofball mane. Still, nothing out of the ordinary from living on the streets.

Looking ahead, the path trailed off and the trees got thicker, the ground turning to mud the further along it travelled. Frowning slightly, Ket made her way down the path, hoisting the hems of her pants up around her thighs as she started squelching through the mud, giggling to herself at the sound.

Travelling further in, the mud reached higher up until it was splattering her knees, making horrible sucking noises as it tried it's best to stop her from continuing her journey. Slowly making her way to a tree, Ket grab hold of the vines adorning it, heaving herself out of the mud with as much strength as she could muster. And that was when the vines wrapped themselves around her wrist.

Shrieking, Ket jerked her hand back, just managing to free herself before the vines tightened, flailing and collapsing back into the mud, scrambling to her feet as quickly as she could as more vines shot out, forming a monster which staggered towards her. Letting out another terrified scream, Ket knew this was going to be the bit where the monster ate her or fed her to it's children-

"FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD BOPA, SHE'S A LITTLE GIRL!" shouted a large woman dressed in green clothes with what appeared to be a piece of bark over her chest. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at the vine monster who stopped, looking almost confused for a minute before the plants that laced together to form the chest of the monster opened up, revealing a skinny looking man in a leaf hat, a loincloth and several bandages around his arms and legs.

"Oh yeah... So she is. I'm awful sorry miss, you okay?" asked the man, peering down from his speck in the vines.

Snapping her arms, the woman made several of the vines slap Bopa across the back of the head, scowling at him. "Of course she ain't! You just scared the life outta her!" she made her way to Ket, picking her up out of the mud with a smile. "I'm sorry about him, he always had a habit of jumpin' into things before his brain had a chance to catch up. My name's Thei. An' who might you be?" she asked kindly.

"K-Ket," the seven year old stammered out quietly, still looking scared.

"Cat? Well, that's a pretty unusual name... You hungry, Cat?" Thei asked, carrying the light little girl to her skiff and sitting her down in it. "I'll cook you up a feast, not to worry."

Ket nibbled her lip quietly, not wanting to offend the woman who had saved her - though she wasn't apparently in too much danger - by refusing her offer of food. And she was sort of hungry anyway, though she generally always was. Bopa hopped in the back of the skiff and they shot off through the Swamp, swerving around the trees until they came to a settlement with similarly dressed people all gathered around their huts, cooking things over small fires or in big pots.

"Welcome to the home of the Foggy Swamp Tribe," Thei said proudly. "Most of us here are Waterbenders, though we've had a few others come and seek refuge with us here over the years. My Pa was a Fire Nation non-bender and my Ma was a Waterbender born here. You get all sorts here, we don't turn others away. You can eat with my family tonight, Cat."

"Thank you... And, uhm, actually my name is Ket, not Cat..." Ket corrected her as she was steered through to a larger hut with several logs gathered outside around a fire where a pot was bubbling away with some kind of food.

"It is? Oh, I'm sorry, it's just you speak so quietly it's hard to hear... KIDS! Come on out, we've got a guest for dinner tonight!" Thei shouted, stirring the food as seven children of varying ages poured out of the hut, the first six girls with brown hair and the last one a boy with black hair, though they were all chubby. "Kids, this is Ket. She's gonna be stayin' for a while," Thei said, smiling as her kids sat down on the logs and she started serving up the food.

It was a few days since Thei had invited Ket to stay with her family for a while and the small girl could swear she had never eaten so much in all her life. They had made her some new clothes that actually fit her (though they wouldn't for long if she kept eating the way Thei wanted her to), got the dirt and twigs out of her hair so she was clean and she was currently out on a skiff with Bopa, watching him hunt.

"...Can I ask you something, Bopa?"

"Sure thing sweetie," he replied, giving her a smile. He'd christened her with the nickname 'sweetie' as part of his way to make it up to her for terrifying her on the first day.

"How do you control the plants? I mean... they're plants. You're a Waterbender, right?" she asked, tipping her head to the side in curiosity.

"Sure am sweetie. It's not the plants themselves I'm controllin', it's the water inside the plants. Where there's water, a Waterbender's got power. Like for you, bein' an Earthbender, so long as there's dirt, you can control it. Y'see?"

Ket furrowed her brow, mulling things over. "Yeah, I think so... So if I practiced, do you think I could control mud or something? Because mud's just water and earth, isn't it?"

Bopa laughed. "Sure is, sweetie. You could be a Mudbender like how I'm a Plantbender," he snickered.

Leaning back in the skiff, Ket smiled to herself. So long as there was earth, she had power. That was comforting to know. And with a bit of effort, her journey through the rest of the Swamp would be a LOT cleaner.

* * *

A/N: And there's chapter two. I think this is how I will describe Ket's travel to Republic City, not as an exact journey, but as key points. Maybe one or two more chapters after this and then the proper story kicks off. Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated and I accept anon ones too. So pretty please.


	3. The Finer Points of Earthbending

**How to Tame a Wild Cat**

**Summary:** A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC.

**Warnings: **Character death, future violence etc. Nothing too terribly awful to start with though.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Korra or Aang. It would be glorious if I did.

A/N: And here's the third chapter. Thanks to everyone for reviewing, it means a lot to know people like my story, especially when it focuses on an OC.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Ket was continuing on her journey, following her a worn and scruffy map that one of the Foggy Swamp Tribe had given her. He eighth birthday had come and gone silently and she was on the way towards her ninth.

It had taken longer than she had expected to learn how to 'Mudbend', as Bopa had called it, though Thei had been more than happy to welcome her into the family for a while. Overcoming the difficulties of actually feeling the Earth mixed in with the water was hard enough, but then to actually have to control it too? All together it had taken Ket four months to be able to even grasp basic bending ability over the mud and then another two to be able to use it well enough to help her leave the Foggy Swamp.

But eventually she had, and it had been near enough 3 months ago. She was losing the weight that she had put back on from Thei's regular, and large, meals but it was nothing more than she had expected. Thei had given her a pack to take with her which had two other sets of clothing - more or less the same green skirt and brown top she was currently wearing, but in smaller sizes so she wouldn't have to worry about staying suitably dressed when she lost weight again, though Thei had often protested about her leaving, saying it wasn't healthy.

Travelling along the route she had planned for herself was relatively easy. Knowing what was ahead helped her tremendously and Ket had been able to avoid some of the larger caves and forests so the bigger predators hadn't had the chance to catch and eat her. She had wandered through Omashu briefly, though that was only just passing through. While she was there, Ket had heard of a passage just past Omashu called the Cave of the Two Lovers. If you could find your way through the cave, it would save you travelling over the mountains which was a long and arduous trip.

She knew it would be dangerous, but being an Earthbender (even an average one like her) would have an advantage with navigating the tunnels over other people. Checking her pack, the eight year old made sure she had enough supplies for a few days and head into the tunnels without a second thought. At first it had been dark when she walked in, but gradually crystals in the walls had lit up, showing her the way through the maze of tunnels. Smiling faintly to herself she guessed she'd be through this tunnel in less than a day at this rate. As if to assert this fact, Ket sped up her brisk pace, allowing herself a small grin. Turning a corner she had to bite her tongue sharply to stop herself from shrieking as she came face to face with a giant furry animal.

Ket had never seen anything like this before. It was huge, easily twice her height and it looked like it could snap her in half easily. In the dim glow of the caves she could make out it's claws and brown coat, though it's face was covered with bright white fur, interrupted only by the two black streaks running from it's snout to it's tail. Shuffling a little closer, it snuffled at her, bristly whiskers flicking over her face. Scrunching her eyes shut, Ket hoped that it would decide she didn't smell like an appetising meal and would leave her alone. She was brought out of her morbid thoughts as a long warm tongue ran over her face, leaving a coating of slobber. Letting out a nervous giggle, Ket opened her eyes cautiously, seeing the creature was turning around to leave.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she realised the animal was never going to harm her at all and even seemed sort of friendly. On a spur of the moment decision, she followed the creature, trotting after it happily and petting it's bristly coat, watching it shuffle along the floor. She furrowed her brow as it moved along steadily, swiping one large paw and then the other in front of itself, navigating through the tunnel. Her eyes widened slightly as she realised that was exactly what the creature was doing. It was navigating the tunnels by feeling. These creatures were Earthbenders, just like her. Maybe that was why they hadn't attacked, they sensed she was kin. Smiling faintly, Ket started shuffling her feet in front of her like the creature was.

She might stay in these caves for a while.

* * *

Ket was nine, ten next week, and she was TIRED. She had been travelling for months. Her map had been torn to pieces by a downpour of rain that had given her a horrible cold and fever too, her spare clothes and pack had been stolen by thieves and she hadn't found a village for MILES so she hadn't eaten a single thing.

Sighing miserably, she hoped she'd find somewhere soon, it was getting dark. Trudging along the path, she scratched at a few new scabs on her arm - she'd earned them by fighting with a rabbitdog over it's food - and was mildly grateful they weren't bigger. Or infected. Pausing, she sniffed the air. It smelt like fire. And not just any fire, a COAL fire - that meant people! She grinned, hurrying along the path, coming to a small village. The houses were small and wooden, but lights lit up the windows and smoke curled out of the chimneys, signalling that people were home. Biting her lip nervously, she wandered around. It didn't look like there was any marketplace, and if there was, it would most likely be shut at this hour in such a small place as this. She winced slightly as her stomach growled loudly.

"Are you hungry?" She whipped around to see a boy a few steps away from her. He had pale grey eyes and messy black hair and his skin was coated in black dust, though as he gave her a small smile she could see his teeth were white. He looked to be only two or three years older than her.

"...I am, yes," she mumbled, stubbing her toe on the floor awkwardly, a habit she had picked up doing when she was nervous.

"Then come on. Momma's always got enough food cooking to spare," he grinned, taking her wrist gently and leading her through the village. As they walked closer, Ket could make out what looked like a giant hole in the earth, surrounded by the same black dust that coated the boy.

"It's a mining village," he told her as he spotted the surprised look on her face. "We're all Earthbenders here. We go down the mines and pull out the coal so it can be sold across the Nations."

She blinked. "Everyone here's an Earthbender too...?"

"Yep!" the boy said proudly, puffing up his chest. "And we all work in the mine together, me, Mina, Momma and Poppa and all the others."

"Oh... Wow, that's amazing," she grinned.

He laughed. "I know. An' hopefully one day I'll be able to make myself famous for my bending. I know there's a lot of great benders in Republic City, so I wanna go there."

"Republic City? I'm going there... I need to look for my Mama," Ket replied, looking at the floor.

"Well... Maybe we could go together," he said with a smile, leading her into a wooden hut that had flowers in pots outside the window.

"Who's your friend, sweetie?" asked a woman at a stove, cooking something in a pot, smiling softly as she saw them.

"Oh, uhhm... " he paused, glancing at her, realising he hadn't asked her name.

"Ket... My name's Ket. And I was hoping I could stay and work here for a while."

* * *

Ket had been transferred to an orphanage in the mining village first thing in the morning. It was smelly and crowded and she didn't like the other children, but at least she had been given breakfast, however gross it was. She was currently in the mines, being yelled at by the supervisor.

"_'CAN'T'_?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, _'CAN'T'_?! I'VE GOT FIVE YEAR OLDS WHO ARE LIFTING MORE THAN YOU, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH!"

"It's too heavy!" Ket whimpered. "I've never lifted something this big before!" Next to Ket was a lump of coal, a little taller than her, and MUCH heavier than she was. The other children were hefting their own lumps with apparent ease and just skirting around her and the supervisor.

He growled at her, narrowing his eyes. "Earth is Earth, no matter the size. You can lift it if you try, BUT YOU'RE _NOT_! YOU'RE JUST BEING _LAZY_!" he yelled, glowering at her. "Now you either get that OUT of the way or you can go down the shaft to clear out the rubble!" leaving that threat hanging in the air, he stalked off.

Ket bit her lip hard, trying not to cry. She wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry. But oh Spirits... she was terrified. The shaft was a long, narrow hole in the bottom of the mine that they would lower the smaller children down on a rope and plank of wood to search out veins of coal. They would have to clear out the tunnel when they found one, and if they didn't, they just kept going down. There were cave-in's a lot, and if the child wasn't quick, they were dead. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking around to see a girl a few years older than her, maybe hitting the middle of her teen years.

She smiled softly and helped her to her feet. "They didn't help me much when I first started either. You need to learn that Earthbending is Earthbending, no matter the size or shape of what you're bending. Look." She paused and bent down, scooping up a pile of the black dust that covered the floor, pressing her hands together on it. When she pulled them apart, the coal dust had shifted into the shape of a flower. Ket stared, poking it softly, blinking when it crumbled under her touch.

"See?" said the girl. "Bending tiny pieces of Earth or bending a large piece. It's all the same when you think about it. You wouldn't have any difficulty lifting a pebble, would you?"

"...No..." Ket murmured, still marvelling over the tiny coal dust flower.

"Then think of this lump as a pebble," the girl said with a grin, patting the hunk of coal. "Lift it. I know you can, and I'll be here to help."

Ket nodded, her face setting determinedly. This was just a pebble! The biggest pebble she'd ever tried to lift, but still a pebble. Screwing her eyes shut, she felt the rock with her bending, clenched her fists and jerked them upwards.

"Open your eyes, silly," she older girl said with a laugh. Cautiously, Ket cracked open her eyes, gasping when she saw her rock. It was hovering in line with her hands - only about an inch off the ground, but hovering all the same. She grinned broadly at the other girl.

"Thank you so much! You saved me!" Ket exclaimed, pulling the rock to her.

The girl giggled again, hefting her own lump of coal easily. "No problem. I help out as often as I can with the new kids."

Ket nodded then blushed a little. "I'm sorry... I didn't even ask your name. I'm Ket."

"My name's Mina. If you ever need any help, I'll be glad to offer it."

* * *

It was pitch black. Ket slipped out of the window of the orphanage dormitory silently and dropped to the floor with a roll. It had been almost eight months since she had joined the mining village. The people were nice enough and once she got the hang of the work, it hadn't been that difficult. But she had to leave. She wasn't staying here forever and her mind had been made up earlier.

Mina, the girl who she had become friends with on her first day of work, had turned seventeen the other week. As an adult, she had been transferred to the larger scale digging area. There had been a cave in. A few people had survived. Mina hadn't.

And Ket wasn't going to stay here to be killed in a cave in! She had to go to Republic City and find her mother! She would have liked to tell the boy who had brought her back to his home and fed her, but she hadn't seen him again after she was moved to the orphanage.

She crept silently out of the village. She was sure they wouldn't mind her leaving, most of the other children in the orphanage didn't like her anyway. but leaving with a pack full of their food would have caused a few problems. She sighed as she ran down the path, following a new map that she had pocketed from the Governor's Office when she had been in there the other week for causing a minor spill of coal.

Pausing just inside of a wooded area, she figured out where she was and where she would need to travel. Pulling out a grimy compass from around her neck - something she'd had to trade her week's worth of bread to get - she lined it up with her map and set off. Brushing her wild hair back, she lost herself in thought as she walked on autopilot. What would her Papa think of her now? She was a liar and a thief, two things he'd always hated and two things she'd promised never to become.

What would her Mama think of her? This woman she'd never met but her Papa had always promised that she loved her lots? Would she still love her after everything Ket had done? But... Her Mama wouldn't HAVE to know the bad things she'd done. It could be a little secret. What did her Papa say they were? White lies? And if it made sure that her Mama loved her then it WAS a good thing to lie this time. She steeled her lip determinedly. Her Mama would love her and she wouldn't EVER know the bad things that Ket had done. She'd be at Republic City soon, she'd make sure of it.

* * *

A/N: And there we go. The next chapter will take place when Ket is 12 and has just arrived in Republic City. Reviews and feedback are appreciated, even anon ones, thank you!


	4. Not So 'Welcome' Welcome

**How to Tame a Wild Cat**

**Summary:** A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC.

**Warnings: **Character death, violence, etc. This is more or less the chapter where things get bad.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Korra or Aang. It would be glorious if I did.

A/N: And I am back with chapter 4. This is probably the chapter where I start considering changing the rating to an M. I would appreciate feedback on the rating. This chapter switches view points slightly. Also, I would like to point out that at this stage, it's 8 years previous to season one of Korra.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Rino was, in his opinion, a kind man. He was generous and mild-mannered and pleasant. But when people started invading his privacy, he WASN'T. So when he saw this skinny, bedraggled little STREET URCHIN going through his bins he was, understandably, displeased. Grabbing her by the scruff of her neck, he hoisted her out of the bin, exposing her dirty face and wild hair. Fixing her with the glare he reserved for the underlings who displeased him, his kept his voice relatively mild and civil - which is when people KNEW he was royally pissed off.

"And what is YOUR name, little girl?"

She stared at him with wide, terrified eyes, mumbling something. How sickeningly adorable.

"Cat? What an odd name for such a little thing like you. Well, little wild cat, it's VERY rude to go through someone's bins. Unfortunately for you, I absolutely despise rudeness." He gave her an absolutely chilling grin. "Luckily, I know _exactly_ how you can make it up to me."

The last thing Ket saw before she was knocked out by a blow to the head was Rino's light blue eyes and wide, toothy grin leering down at her.

* * *

Groaning softly, Ket twitched as she slowly came around. Her head felt sore and fuzzy and when she wrinkled her brow she could feel the semi-dried stickiness of a trail of blood down the side of her face. The second thing she noticed after the blood was the fact she couldn't move. Her wrists and ankles were tied together.

"Good to see you waking up, little wild cat," murmured a voice by her ear, making her jerk her eyes open to stare into the blue eyes of the man who had knocked her out. Oh Spirits, what was he going to do to her? She swallowed nervously.

"And this little girl was going through your bins, Rino? Such disrespect to a person such as us... " came a voice past Rino's shoulder. Flicking her gaze to him, Ket spotted a man who looked to be in his early forties with greying hair and bright amber eyes.

Another voice snickered, behind her head where she couldn't see. "I think we should teach her a lesson. It's been a while since we've had any entertainment."

"Very true Caspa, very true... " murmured Rino. "She's too ugly to fetch a high price as a whore... To skinny and scarred. What would you suggest Zolt?" Ket paled dramatically at hearing that name. There was only one Zolt in Republic City as far as she'd heard. Lightning Bolt Zolt. The leader of the Triple Threat Triad. They said he was only the Firebender leader, though everyone knew he really ran everything. The Waterbender and Earthbender were disposable. She trembled slightly. The Triple Threat Triad were not known for their kindness.

Zolt tapped his chin in mock thoughtfulness, fixing his eyes on the shaking little girl. "...I would suggest we feed the wolfdogs," he replied with a cruel smile.

The man she hadn't seen - Caspa - grabbed her by the back of her shirt, choking her slightly as she was lifted off her feet, struggling against her bonds. "It's no use fighting, sweetheart. Not yet, anyway," Caspa laughed, bringing her to a large back room, dropping her to the floor, allowing Ket to get a look at him. He had shoulder-length wavy brown hair and large green eyes that almost gave the impression of kindness, if it wasn't for a hard cruelness that gleamed at the back. He stomped the ground and jerked his arms apart, the stone ground in front of him splitting, revealing a pit with tall smooth edges so that you couldn't climb out.

"I tell you what, little wild cat," Rino said, picking her up by the back of her neck again, holding her so she could see him properly. Her eyes flicked over his tanned and relatively handsome face, the only marks being a scar running through his right eyebrow and a gold loop through his bottom lip. "Since you are obviously sorry about what you did..." he paused and Ket felt her heart thump in hope that he would just let her leave with a split lip and a black eye. "...I'll give you a fighting chance," he continued, grinning maliciously as the young girl's face clearly showed her heart dropping. Flicking his fingers nimbly, he sliced through the ropes holding her wrists and ankles together with a little slip of water and tossed her into the pit.

"Give us some entertainment, little wild cat," he purred, falling back beside Zolt to watch. Caspa snickered, lowering his arms, a section of the pit wall lowering, a low growl echoing from the small room joined to the pit. Wolfdogs.

Ket whimpered, backing up against the wall, clenching her hands into fists as the first of the starving animals slunk out of their home, sniffing the air. It was easily as tall as Ket and must have weighed as much as a full-grown man, coated in shaggy grey fur on the majority of it's body, though there was a streak of black running along it's underside. It was followed by two other slightly smaller wolfdogs that were silver and white. All three of them looked hungry and had drool hanging in thick strings from their open jaws, showing their rows of gleaming fangs.

The Alpha turned it's head to Ket, locking his eyes on her. The human wouldn't make much of a meal, but when you were hungry food was food. And this skinny little human was definitely food. Slowly he started to slink towards the trembling meal, not wanting her to run and make what little meat there was on her tough just before she died. Letting loose a feral snarl, he jumped towards her, intent on clenching his jaws around her tiny throat.

And that was when Ket punched her arm forwards, sending a pillar of rock from the floor into the wolfdog's stomach, sending him sprawling back into the other two who yelped in surprise. Swallowing, Ket raised her fists, determinedly. If the Triple Threat leaders wanted entertainment she'd give it to them, but she was NOT going to die today. She hadn't come so far to be put down at the final hurdle, and she was going to prove it.

One of the smaller wolfdogs that had been knocked over was back on her feet, and was growling lowly, her hackles raised. She crept towards Ket cautiously and once she was within reach, swiped at her, claws extended. Jerking back quickly, Ket stomped her foot into the ground, sending a boulder shooting up from the floor straight into the wolfdog's jaw, making her reel back, whimpering in pain.

The final wolfdog, the smallest of the three, had slunk up behind the surprisingly difficult meal while her elder tried to deal with it. Snarling as her friend was knocked back, she pounced. Whipping around, Ket kicked up a chunk of rock and punched it into the wolfdog, sending it flying back into the wall. Panting, she shook slightly as all three of the feral animals advanced slowly, each of them only slightly injured. How much longer she'd be able to keep this up, she didn't know.

"An EARTHBENDER?" Zolt hissed, and Rino paled slightly. Zolt hated it when a benders had to be killed - they had 'superior blood' to non-benders and it was such a waste to spill such precious liquid. "Why didn't you tell me the girl was a bender?!"

"I-I didn't know Zolt, I swear! She never did any Earthbending, how could I have known-?" Rino stammered quickly, halted by Zolt's hand.

"Shut up and get her OUT of there," he growled, narrowing his eyes at Caspa and Rino. They scurried forwards, Rino pulling water out of the air and smacking back the wolfdogs, lashing it around their throats and tugging them away from the barriers Ket had formed to keep them away from her, tossing them with some difficulty back in their cave. Caspa quickly slammed shut the hole in the wall as Rino reached down to fish Ket out of the pit. Pulling her up, he held her in his arms like you would a small child, petting her hair gently. If anything this just terrified Ket more.

"Little Cat, why didn't you say you were a bender? You would have saved us all this trouble," Rino chastised her gently.

"I-I d-didn't think it would m-matter," Ket mumbled.

"Of course it matters," Zolt said, stepping forwards. "Now you have a use other than just food for my pets. Tell me, what's your name and how old are you?"

She swallowed. "My name's Ket, Sir, and I'm 12 years old. I came here looking for my Mama, after my Papa died."

Rino's eyes lit up. "No family, hmm? I'll take care of you, sweetie."

"I don't think so," Caspa said with a scowl. "She's an EARTHbender, not a WATERbender. By rights she's mine!" He didn't particularly want the little brat, but he HATED losing turf to Rino.

"No, _I _found her, she's_ mine_," Rino retorted, tightening his grip on Ket. It might be interesting to have an Earthbender working directly for him - not to mention it would piss Caspa RIGHT off.

Zolt growled, sounding horribly similar to his 'pets' just below the floor, Rino and Caspa stopping their complaining immediately. "Rino. You keep the kid. Caspa, you train her," he levelled his glare at Caspa, making sure his decision was accepted. "And not half-assed like you did with some of the last ones, teach her properly."

Rino put Ket down, crouching so he was eye level, looking her over. "Hmmm, I was right... Too ugly to be a whore, however well people might pay for your young age... How would you like to collect money for me? It's really very easy." He glanced at Caspa, smirking slightly. "And if Caspa can train you well, you can be a fighter in out tournaments... I'm sure you'd earn me a lot of money there," he grinned, his tone making it sound like all of this was a good thing, almost like it was a game a child would like.

Ket swallowed. Considering she'd almost been fed to wolfdogs for not being a bender, she didn't see much of a way to refuse them. So she nodded. Rino laughed like a delighted parent.

"There's a good girl! Let's go get you cleaned up and we can sort out where to put you," he said, leading her out by the hand.

As they left, Ket glanced back at Caspa and Zolt.

"What are we going to do about the wolfdogs? They need feeding soon or they'll start eating each other," Caspa asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Zolt shrugged. "I don't care. Find someone who's missed their third payment. We need someone to be made an example of."

Caspa nodded. "There's a man who runs a dumpling stand who's a couple of days late. We can toss him in there tomorrow."

Ket paled, shuddering. Oh Spirits. What had she agreed to join?

* * *

True to his word, Rino had taken her to a run-down apartment that one of his 'employees' lived in (he wasn't taking her to HIS home, don't be silly) and had cleaned her up. Ket stood there in a towel, shivering from cold as her clothes were being washed.

"You don't look half so ugly with all that filth scrubbed off you," Rino informed her, looking her over again. "Now, there's just a few more things to do, and you'll be officially one of mine..." He glanced into the back room. "Tekko, do you still have that 'Welcome Pack'?"

Tekko - the man who owned the apartment, a Waterbender of about 30 with the same gold hoop as Rino - shouted affirmative and came out a few minutes later with a dirty white box. Setting it on the table, he opened it, showing several sharp-looking needles and a clear packet of gold hoops.

Suddenly Ket didn't feel as though this Welcome Pack was all that welcoming.

Cupping her face, Rino traced his thumb over her bottom lip, stopping on the corner where his piercing was. "Just think, Ket," he murmured. "This is like giving you a family. This shows you all belong to me." Stepping back, Ket saw Tekko wiping alcohol along the needle point and a gold ring to sterilise them. She swallowed, letting out a tiny whimper, pulling the towel tighter around herself. This was going to hurt.

Grabbing her chin to keep her head still, Tekko clamped a hoop in his teeth so it was ready to follow the needle through her lip. Pulling her lip out, he slid the needle through the delicate flesh. Ket cried out and tears pricked at her eyes but she didn't try to jerk away. The alcohol on the needle burned like fire, but she didn't want a gash like that through her mouth.

Tugging the needle out, a thin trickle of blood following, the gold hoop followed the new path through her lip. It was wider than the needle and had been wiped with the alcohol too, and it felt like her lip was being ripped open so she shouted out again, but Ket refused to cry, silently repeating her promise to herself, clenching her fists into her covers, nails digging right through and into her palms. Never give them the satisfaction.

Rino smiled as Tekko pulled away, brushing his thumb over the spill of blood from the new piercing. He studied it for a moment before licking it off the pad of the digit. He had always been fascinated with blood. As a Waterbender, the ultimate control of someone came from the ability to bend the water in their blood. Something so common and yet could bring about such weakness if it was tapped into properly. He smiled, sliding his hand down to Ket's throat before gripping it tightly and pinning her to the wall where she choked and tried to squirm away, forgetting her modesty as her hands gripped the one around her neck, trying to pull it away. Flipping a blade out of his sleeve, Rino held it in front of Ket's face, making sure he had her attention.

When she stopped moving to stare with wide-eyed terror he gently, almost lovingly, traced it around the lid of each eye as she tried not to blink for fear he'd spear her eye by accident. The Waterbender leader grinned and pressed the knife deeply into the flesh above her right eye, where his scar was. Blood quickly welled up and streamed down her face, making her close her eye against the flow, though the other stayed open in a silent expression of pain.

He held the knife there, in her skin, for a few agonisingly slow seconds before jerking it away, a spurt of blood flowing from the wound. Leaning in, he ran his tongue along her cheek, tasting the precious red liquid that spilled from what was going to be her newest scar. Purring slightly he dropped her to the floor in a trembling, gasping heap, turning away as she weakly grabbed for her towel, pulling it back over her thin form.

"Welcome to the family, my little Wild Cat."

* * *

A/N: And BAM. This is where the action kicks off. The next few chapters are going to be about Ket's life with the Triad. Reviews and feedback are appreciated, thank you!


	5. Birthday Surprise

**How To Tame a Wild Cat**

**Summary:** A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC.

**Warnings: **Character death, violence, language, etc.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Korra or Aang. It would be glorious if I did.

A/N: And here is yet another chapter. It doesn't seem to be awfully popular, but I'll continue writing anyway. I would like more than one review for this update, but I know how few people review and give feedback, however useful it might be to authors. Anyway, enjoy the newest chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Come on, little wild Cat," Caspa urged, leaning against a wall, looking relatively bored. "You'll have to do better than that."

"I'm trying!" grunted Ket in reply, a thin sheen of sweat plastered across her brow. "It's difficult!"

"And do you think the police will care if it's difficult? Do you think they'll care if you can't? No. They'll bring you in and interrogate you. And you KNOW what happens when people get out of an interrogation with the police."

Ket shuddered a little. She knew. She knew all too well. She had been brought along to some of the 'after parties' as the Triple Threats called them. The person who the police had caught and interrogated was caught again, this time by their own gang members, and taken to a random location - though it was always secluded and out of the way. Where no one would be able to hear agonised shrieks of pain. They would be asked at first, what they had told the police. If they were satisfied with the answer they got, they'd let you go. But that very rarely happened. That was when the torture started. It would get worse and worse and wouldn't stop until they were entirely sure and satisfied with your answers. And sometimes they'd let you go. But generally they wouldn't. Or you died of the torture. However the evening went, it was never nice.

With a renewed effort, Ket tugged at the metal leash that Caspa had wound around her wrists. In previous weeks he had brought her fitness and strength up to par as well as her Earthbending to a level he deemed acceptable, which had taken a good few months of near constant training. And then he had started her on Metalbending. He said that it wasn't enough to be a good Earthbender in a city where their police could all bend metal too.

At first, her lessons had been nothing more than throwing chunks of metal, running her hands over any available piece of metal Caspa could find for her or bring her to, just searching for the earth inside. It had been exceedingly difficult and Ket had complained and whined and said she couldn't on multiple occassions, but Caspa had refused to hear it, saying that every Earthbender had the potential for Metalbending. You just needed to practice hard enough.

So Ket had kept at it, not out of choice but because she had to. And eventually after a good few weeks, like Caspa said, she had felt the earth inside the metal and had told him excitedly. As soon as she did, Caspa had called the training to an end, telling her she did well. A couple of days later, here she was in her next lesson. Trying to unwind the metal from her wrists.

"I CAN'T!" Ket said, struggling with her bindings. "I can't feel the earth properly, I can't bend it!"

He glowered at her. "I am getting _tired_ of your 'can't's. Do it. Now."

Ket struggled briefly before letting her arms go limp. "It's impossible, I need more practice! Untie me, please," she begged, tugging uselessly on the unyeilding metal. Scowling, Caspa stalked over to her, grabbing her by the makeshift cuffs but not removing them. He backhanded her viciously and let go, sending her sprawling across the floor.

"'_Need more practice_' isn't going to cut it! You do this and you do it now!" he shouted at her, clenching his hands into fists. Caspa had never liked the skinny little rat Zolt had forced him to train, much less the fact that his training wouldn't even be used on his own section of the Triad, it was benefiting Rino instead. He had no patience for this girl who shouldn't have had this much EFFORT wasted on her.

Pushing herself up on shaking arms, Ket spat blood out of her mouth, running her tongue over her split lip. One of the numerous heavy metal rings Caspa always wore had caught her lip and torn the skin. Flicking her tongue over the metal hoop in her lip, she was thankful that was still in place. Getting it ripped out would have been bad enough, but having to get the tear sterillised, stitched up and then a new ring put in? The mere thought was horrendous. The Waterbender lip rings were considered prizes in the fighting circles the Triad ran. If you tore out one, not only only did you get to keep it, but you gave your opponent a permanent scar. Something you earned a bonus off your boss for doing.

She was hoisted off the ground by the scruff of her neck and slammed against a makeshift wall that Caspa had pulled up. He loomed over her, growling. He had had more than enough of this girl's whining and complaining and he was going to shut her up. What was one little street urchin, even if she WAS a bender? He slid his fingers to her throat, squeezing, watching with no small satisfaction as her face slowly reddened as she struggled against him. He grinned widely. He'd teach this little girl a lesson about what happened to weak links in the Triple Threats.

Jerking suddenly, Ket pulled her hand back, clenching it into a fist and drove it into his face, knocking him off her and to the floor. Panting hard and shaking, she rubbed her neck, knowing it would be bruised there tomorrow. Pausing, she flicked her eyes down to her wrists. They were free and the metal that had held them was laying open on the floor.

"Very good, little Wild Cat..." murmured Caspa, pushing himself to his feet, touching his cheek which was already swelling and sure to have a livid bruise there by tomorrow morning. "Bending like this can often be brought out in stressful situations. Next time I expect you to do it on command, understood?" Ket nodded meekly, still shaking, though now it was fear and not adrenaline. You never struck someone further up the chin of command, and you NEVER hit one of the leaders. Or you didn't live to tell anyone about it.

Caspa wound his fingers gently into her wild hair, then jerked her head back hard, making her hiss in pain. "You were very naughty to hit me like that, you know... But since you DID bend the metal in the end... " he purred, sinking his teeth into the join between her shoulder and her neck and sucking hard, not quite breaking the skin. Ket yelped in pain but grit her teeth, letting Caspa do whatever the hell it was. Pulling away, he smirked at the rapidly purpling mark that was obviously a bite. "You go back to Rino and tell him you were a very good girl. And that you pleased me greatly," Caspa said, still wearing his infuriating smirk, unclenching his fingers from his hair and petting her.

Ket bolted as soon as he said go. She hated being a source of Caspa and Rino's territorial pissing matches and this bruise was going to start a huge one.

* * *

"Why don't you tell everyone what a special day it is, my little Wild Cat," Rino said, beaming.

Ket swallowed, glancing at the group which was of five older Waterbenders. They all looked terrifying, though only two of them looked muscular enough to snap the little girl like a twig, and none of them had an impressed look on their faces. "I-it's my birthday... I'm 13 today." Rino had asked a few weeks ago about her birthday, as an off-hand comment and Ket had told him, not thinking anything of it. Now she wished she had lied.

"That's _right_, my little kitten is finally a teenager!" Rino grinned excitedly, putting his hands on her shoulders. "So I had this very _special_ day planned out for her. This man that we're going to visit, he's been very bad and hasn't paid his rent to us." Ket nodded along though she knew that the 'rent' was most likely the protection money that the Triad regularly extorted from non-benders and weaker benders. "In fact, he's such a bad man that he's missed his payment three times!" Rino continued cheerfully.

She pale dramatically at that. Oh. So that's what todays 'special' activity was. There were rules regarding payments in the Triple Threat Triad. If you missed one payment, you get a warning. That's a beating. If you miss a second payment, then you get a scar. Generally the face or somewhere visible that it would be seen. Ket had been to collections like that. She'd been to mostly collections where they had the money, so nothing happened. But if you missed a third payment, that was your last chance. If you missed a third payment, that was when they'd take a limb.

"So, since it's your birthday, YOU get to do the honours!" Rino exclaimed, like it was the perfect birthday gift to a little girl. Ket just looked sick at the thought. "In we go," the Waterbender leader ordered, adopting a serious face, pushing her inside after the other five men. Ket cringed, hovering at the back of the group, hoping that maybe Rino would forget about ther 'birthday present'. There were yelps and shrieks from further inside the house and the sound of struggling before it stopped. "KET, get over here!" No such luck.

Hesitantly heading into the main room of the house, Ket saw that the man - presumably the late payment - was held by one of the mountainous Waterbenders that Rino had brought, on one side of the room. His wife and his two young children were restrained on the other side of the room. Rino stood in the middle, grinning cheerfully.

"Come on Ket. Time for you to dish out some punishment," Rino smiled.

"S-she's just a kid! You c-can't do this-!" the man started, only to be cut of by a sharp smack across his face from the Waterbender holding him. The woman cuddled the children to her chest, making sure they couldn't see.

"Come on Ket," Rino urged, his voice taking on that quiet, pleasant tone that sent a shiver down everyone's spine. "You know the rules about a late payment. Pick a limb and punish him."

Trembling, Ket stepped forwards, trying to block out the sounds of the woman and children quietly sobbing behind Rino's Waterbenders. Pressing her palms to the floor, she covered them in rock like Caspa had taught her, to help her grip the limb she chose and so she'd be able to snap it easily. An arm would be good. The left one. Most people were right-handed and needed their legs for work, so it seemed like the best choice of a bad lot. Swallowing, she gripped his upper arm tightly and screwed her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to see. Jerking her hands quickly in opposite directions, she knew she'd done her job as she heard a sharp crack and a howl of agony from the man. Opening her eyes hesitantly, she saw the bottom half of the arm she had just broken dangling limply and a slight bulge in the skin where the broken bone was.

She promptly turned away and vomitted on the floor. Rino chuckled, patting her back as she coughed and spluttered, the acid taste burning her mouth and throat. "And NOW you know what happens when you don't pay on time," Rino said, beaming. "Come on." He turned and left, pulling Ket with him, the others dropping their guarded prisoners and following obediently, leaving the woman to tend to her sobbing husband. Getting into the cab, Rino pulled Ket onto his lap, swishing water over her face and in her mouth to clean her up as they headed off.

"You did well tonight, my little Wild Cat," he purred, petting her hair. She stayed silent for a long time as they drove before glancing up at Rino. "Yes?" he prompted, smiling faintly.

"...Rino... That man who's arm I... What's going to happen to him and his family?" she asked hesitantly, not quite able to say out loud what she'd just done to the innocent man.

The Waterbending leader chuckled softly. "Well, I'm not entirely sure. He was a potter, so he needed his hands for his work, and with a break like that he's not going to be able to use it for a while. I assume he won't be able to work and since his wife doesn't have a job they won't have any income. They won't be able to feed themselves or their children. They won't be able to pay the rent on their house or shop, so they'll be kicked out." He shrugged. "Eventually they'll wind up homeless and unable to fend for themselves and he and his wife will die while the children get taken in by gangs."

Ket trembled as she listened to every word Rino said. She had just ruined four lives, just by breaking an arm. She thought she was making a good choice, but she couldn't have made a worse one. Putting her face in her hands, she quietly started to sob, wishing she had never told Rino about her birthday.

* * *

A/N: Should I up the rating at this point? It won't get much better for a few chapters. Only worse. Tell me what you think! Also, if you enjoy darker stories, try this one: www. fanfiction s/8537020/1/Titanium (Just remove the spaces)

It's about Bolin and is written by a friend of mine. She is a most excellent author. (There is a small prequel though, so be warned.)


	6. Earning a Reputation

**How To Tame a Wild Cat**

**Summary:** A wild cat will claw or bite if you get too close. They are feral beasts. But every domesticated animal starts out feral. It's all a matter of taming them. This girl named Ket is no exception. Will eventually be Ming/OC.

**Warnings: **Character death, violence, language, etc.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Korra or Aang. It would be glorious if I did.

A/N: And here we are. Apologies about the delay, but things and stuff have been preocupying my time. Either way, no one's telling me if I should up the rating, so it's staying as a T. Enjoy the next chapter!

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**Chapter 6**

Ket was walking down the streets of Republic City. It was the middle of the day and the paved roads were packed. Her usually wild hair was pulled back into a ribbon at the base of her neck. In place of her old plain and slightly dirty clothes was a smart grey jacket and black pants, though the Earthbender still refused to wear shoes. She was practically unrecognisable. Heading down a side street, she kept her head ducked as she walked past two policemen, though they were rather more interested in the bag of sweet dumplings they were sharing between them than anything else, which suited Ket just fine.

Taking another few corners, Ket made her way to the back door of a small shop, putting her palm to the wall, feeling the metal lock on the inside of the door. Clenching her hand to a fist, she slid it along the brickwork, undoing the bolt that kept her out. Pulling the door open noiselessly, she slipped in and closed it again, unnoticed. Shifting her foot a little and tapping her heel, she formed a small block that would stop anyone from getting out. Silently she moved through the back of the shop which served as the home for the man she was visiting. Creeping up the stairs, she found him writing in a book with her back to the door. Foolish.

"Hello Hanu. I believe you owe me something."

The man jolted, whipping around, oblivious to the puddle of ink rapidly forming on the book from the little pot he had just knocked over in panic. As he saw the skinny girl he visibly relaxed. More foolish.

"How did you get up here? Little girls should know better than to come into someone's house uninvited," he tutted, dabbing at the ink spill.

Ket scowled. Rino had taught her not to tolerate any form of disrespect and she wasn't about to start with this guy. "The difference is, most little girls don't know how much debt you're in."

He paused, glancing back at her, on his guard now. "How did you-?"

Ket cut him off, continuing. "MOST little girls don't come to collect Rino's money." Paling, he swallowed nervously, his eyes flitting around the room as he turned to face her again, just now realising she had him cornered. "And most little girls don't know this is your second warning," she finished, smiling sweetly, though that only served to terrify the man before her.

"You... But you're just a little girl! You can't-!"

"I can and I have," she said coldly, the innocent smile dropping from her face. "You aren't the first and you won't be the last. I'm Rino's new collector. You might have heard of me. They call me Wild Cat."

He paled further. He had heard rumours about this new collector called Wild Cat. When they had said she was a girl, he had assumed a woman, not this tiny stick of a girl. But now connecting some of the methods Wild Cat had used on people who owed Rino with the small teenager was even more terrifying. Wild Cat was said to be ruthless but clinical and emotionless about everything she did. Like staring at a clay mask.

Acting while he was in a state of shock, Ket darted forwards, landing a solid punch to his gut, doubling him over before she grabbed his wrist, using momentum to smack him into the wall. She knew that if she gave him a chance to defend himself she'd have a difficult time subduing him. The walls might have been stone, but the floors on the upper levels were wooden. No good to an Earthbender. Clenching her hands into fists and jerking him, she snapped rock cuffs around the man as he hit the wall, pinning him there.

"Now. Where were we?" she asked, her tone conversational. She watched him shudder for a moment, knowing she wasn't getting an answer any time soon. "Thaaaaat's right, we were discussing you missing your second payment, weren't we?" Stepping closer, she snapped another set of cuffs around his ankles and forced him down to her height, so they were eye to eye. She had learned the hard way to keep their legs tied down after receiving a foot to the stomach. People get desperate when they know they're in for pain.

Stepping up close to him, she flicked a small knife out of her sleeve and pressed it to his cheek. "You know the rule for missing a second payment, don't you Hanu? You get a...?" she left the sentence hanging, clearly meaning for him to finish it.

"... A-a s-sc-car..." he whimpered.

"Good! Top marks and a gold star for you," Ket replied, patting him on the head. "You get a scar when you miss payment number two. Don't move. I'd hate to pop your eye too," she murmured and dug the knife into his cheek, making him yelp in pain as blood ran down his face and neck. Dragging the knife down his skin slowly and steadily, the Earthbender left a deep scar across his face. Even if he got it stitched up it would be clearly visible after it healed. Exactly what Ket wanted. As the knife finished it's path, Ket pulled away to admire her work. Clean, deep and straight. Just like all the others.

She flexed her hand, letting the man fall to the floor and clutch his cheek, moaning in pain. "Make sure you're not late again," she murmured, turning on heel and leaving without another word.

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Adrenaline pumped through her body as she sat off in the back of an underground warehouse. All fighters were to stay here before and after their matches, so that the bidders couldn't get a look at them. Only their odds. Sighing and picking up a roll of binding tape, Ket wound her fists tightly. Tonight was her first appearance in the illegal fighting circuit that the Triad ran. She was turning fourteen next month, and Rino had decided she was good enough to put forward. Rather, as Rino put it, she'd be good enough or else.

The rules to the fights were simple. They were one on one matches, though they occasionally did tag teams. The draws for match-ups were at random. It didn't matter if you were a bender or not, anyone would fight whoever they were told to. Anything went in the ring, bar actually killing someone, you just had to make them submit to win, it didn't matter how. And the most important rule of all - if you fixed a fight, you'd be lynched.

Taking a deep breath, Ket sat back, picking at her skirt. It wasn't very long, but worn over a pair of tight knee-length pants, so she accepted it. There were several metal clips through the edge of the material. Rino had gotten it specially made for her saying 'just in case my wild cat needs her claws', though Ket had no idea what he meant or how so little metal was supposed to give her an advantage over another fighter who would no doubt be bigger and stronger than herself.

"You're up kid," a man said as he walked over to her, lifting her to her feet and ushering her out of the back rooms towards a slightly sunken ring where the fights took place. She swallowed as she heard the few gamblers who had put money on her groan or curse - there was always a few that went for the underdog.

On the other side of the ring, a muscular teenager with darker skin came in, thick dreadlocks framing his face. Flicking her eyes over him, Ket quickly guessed he was from Waterbending origin, if not a Waterbender himself. Most likely used speed to get his opponent and then knock them down when they were weary. Not one of Rino's fighters, there was no ring in his lip. Probably belonged to the Red Monsoons if he was even a bender. Swallowing nervously, she stepped forwards, looking up at the face of the boy who was easily a head or two above her, and probably three or four years older too. She knew to beat him she would have to be faster than he would. And then the bell rang and everything was an instant reaction.

The Waterbender charged at her and she ducked, narrowly missing having her face caved in by his fist, rolling under his arm, shifting her foot to kick up a chunk of rock, hurling it at his head. Roaring as it cracked over the back of his head, he span around, hurling another fist at her, but this time Ket was ready. Grabbing his wrist, she ducked, kicking her foot into the floor making the stone underneath the older teen jerk up sharply, vaulting him over her and smacking him down hard on his back.

The crowd roared, some in approval of her, the rest in anger that the obvious winner was being beat by the underdog. Snarling the boy grabbed her arm, throwing her to the floor hard as he rolled to his feet. Wheezing, Ket tried to catch her breath as her lungs were practically flattened by the impact to the floor when the boy picked her up again, this time by the scruff of her neck, holding her up so she could face him.

"Little girls should know better than to fight with big boys," he growled, narrowing his eyes and landing a solid punch to her abdomen, smirking as she shrieked in pain, still hearing a rib crack under the force of his fist.

Doubling over as well as she could, held in the air, Ket wrapped her arms around her aching body, trying her best to think of a way out of the situation. She was in she was defenceless off the ground and she didn't even have anything with her to drive him off her with -

The metal clips in her skirt. In a flash she realised what Rino had meant when he made the comment about her needing her claws. Ket saw it almost like slow motion. As the Waterbender boy drew back his fist again, she flicked her hands to her skirt, the metal pieces insinctively wrapping themselves around her thin fingers, forming deadly points - just like claws.

Snaking her hand up before her opponent had the chance to realise what was going on, she jabbed a metal-clad finger into the soft underside of his elbow, feeling no small satisfaction as he yelped in pain and the blood spurted out, crippling his arm so it couldn't support even her meagre weight. She dropped to the floor, covering her hands instantly with the rock on the floor as he was still stumbling back, trying to stop the flow of blood form his arm. With the swift movement of her foot, she was jolted into the air by the ground, diving her fist into his face, finding a perverse pleasure in the crunch of his nose under her earth-covered hand and the warm splatter of his blood as it spurted out, spraying her face.

He keeled to the floor with a thud, out for the count, Ket landing on her feet, trembling, panting and aching, but victorious. There was a beat of silence before the cheering and shouts of outrage broke out. Rino smirked as he walked over to her, scooping her up like a father would to their daughter, being mindful of her broken rib.

"Excellent work, Ket. We'll get you bandaged and let you heal before you have to compete again," he told her tapping her nose like a proud parent.

Ket just nodded before collapsing against his chest, her adrenaline failing her as the pain from her broken rib throbbed sharply, making her pass out, exhausted.

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A/N: And there we have it. The next chapter will hopefully take less time to post, but there we have it. Please tell me what you thought, reviews are appreciated.


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